A method, system, and computer-readable medium are provided for determining a layout of automatically-placed elements and user-placed elements in a chart created in a chart application program. User-placed elements in the chart include chart elements that have been moved and/or resized by a user. User-placed elements include chart elements that have been moved and/or resized by a user. Automatically-placed elements include chart elements that have been laid out according to an automatic position and size calculated by the chart application program. The chart application program executes a method including selecting a group of automatically-placed chart elements and user-placed chart elements previously laid out in the chart and automatically laying out the automatically-placed chart elements and the user-placed chart elements according to an automatic position and size calculated by the chart application program. The method further includes reselecting each of the elements from among the automatically laid out elements in the chart, determining whether the selected chart element are user-placed chart elements, and if the selected chart element are user-placed chart elements, then laying out the user-placed chart element in the chart according to a user-specified layout.